


Nothing Ventured

by Tarlan



Category: A Gifted Man
Genre: Angst, Community: smallfandomfest, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-26
Updated: 2013-01-26
Packaged: 2017-11-26 23:41:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/655679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It takes a violent patient attacking Michael for Zeke to admit how he feels, if only to himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing Ventured

"Hold him down! Hold him down!" Michael yelled and Zeke did the only thing he could think of, using his own body weight to keep their patient on the table while grappling with one strong, flailing arm. Only moments earlier they had presumed this patient was dead when he was brought into the clinic, but somehow he and Michael had pulled him back from the brink only to witness this violent reaction.

Zeke knew illegal drugs had to be involved, possibly Crystal Meth or PCP, and that would make their job harder.

He saw Michael lose control of the other arm, head flying backward from a lucky blow. Zeke felt his heart beat ratchet up another notch at Michael's dazed expression as he stumbled back and crashed into a tray of instruments, scattering them across the floor before going down.

"Come on, Kate!" Zeke begged, taking a split second to glance back round at her. She had got the sedative, and Zeke pressed down a little harder to subdue their violent patient, so she could give the injection.

The drug worked quickly, with the man's body slowly calming beneath him, and as soon as he could lift his weight from the man's body, Zeke slid off and dropped to where Michael had slid to the floor, back against the wall.

"Michael? Let me see."

Anton burst in and Zeke pointed at him to give an order. "Restrain that guy!" He barely stopped to check if Anton understood, or if he was going to argue, but another glance back saw Anton reaching for one of the soft restraints to place around their patient. Kate was busy checking over the patient to make certain he hadn't harmed himself further, leaving Zeke to focus his attention back on Michael.

By now Michael had a hand raised and pressed against the side of his face where he had taken that blow.

"Let me see," Zeke demanded, pulling at the hand and tilting Michael's face for a better view. "That's going to be one hell of a shiner," he quipped and grinned, but feared it had looked more like a grimace. Pulling out a small pen light, he flicked it across the blue eyes and could tell from the unequally dilated pupils that Michael had suffered at least a minor concussion. His thoughts were already racing as he planned out the quickest way to get Michael to his own hospital so they could take an MRI. Looking over his shoulder he checked on his colleague.

"Kate? I need to take Michael to Holt to get him checked out. Let Rita know we're on our way."

For a moment she looked as if she would object and insist on her being the one to deal with Michael but there must have been something in his face or eyes that made her back down without a word. Yes, he knew her marriage was floundering, and he knew she found Michael attractive... and he also knew that Michael felt some attraction towards her too. It was a little petty of him not to want to see them get together but he couldn't help his own feelings towards Michael, which had deepened even more on the evening Michael played drums for Zeke's group. He had hoped Michael would turn up but until he saw him standing right in front of him at the bar, he hadn't fully believed it, half-expecting to have to go ahead without a drummer. Of course, he pretended that he'd never had a moment's doubt.

Afterwards, Michael had stayed for a few drinks, but so had Kate. Yet Zeke thought he had seen something in Michael's blue eyes that showed his interest in Kate was simply a diversion. She was still very much in love with her husband despite their marital problems, making her safely unobtainable. As he thought of Michael, Zeke knew that he had walked down that same track too recently, focusing on someone he thought he could never have so he could pretend that he didn't want the person who truly owned his heart. It was a defense mechanism... and a good one at that as it meant he wouldn't see his heart broken if he never put it out there for the person he wanted. The problem with taking that track was the remote possibility that he would end up in a relationship that could bring nothing but heartache for the other person. 

Fortunately in his case, Michael's sister had chosen the person she loved over him - Anton - but Zeke feared that Kate would eventually choose Michael over her husband. He knew he ought to say something to Michael before that happened, recalling an old saying, 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained'. Though he was still so afraid of risking everything, and losing everything in the process, this latest incident had proved that .

Zeke helped Michael to his feet and was surprised when Michael simply handed over the keys to his expensive sports car.

"I may be concussed, but I'm not an idiot."

"You sure?" Zeke smiled. "You're trusting me with your car."

Zeke helped Michael into the passenger side, making sure he was safely inside and was putting his seat belt on before heading round to the driver's side. He slid in behind the wheel and gunned the engine. Under any other circumstance, he would have reveled in the deep throaty sound of the engine, purring like a big cat, but his thoughts were on getting Michael to Holt. Negotiating the late evening traffic still took a little time but eventually he arrived, parking in Michael's reserved space and helping him into Holt Neuro, where Rita was waiting anxiously.

Zeke knew he ought to head back to Clinica Sananda but a text from Kate proved it unnecessary. An ambulance had collected their violent patient and Kate had locked up the clinic for the night with Anton's help. He wondered if she would head over, half-expecting her, but another text told him she was heading straight home to her husband. He knew he ought to do the same but he couldn't leave.

"Just a minor concussion but we'll keep him in overnight."

Zeke thanked Michael's doctor and headed in to help Michael get settled into a room for his overnight stay. He stayed for a while, watching Michael sleep, but realized it had to look a little strange. Though he had admitted if only to himself that it was Michael he wanted, and loved, letting the rest of the world know was something else entirely.

When he stood up, intending to leave, he looked down when he felt fingers encircling his wrist. Zeke glanced down to see Michael looking up at him.

"Stay."

Zeke took his seat again, and looked back at Michael questioningly as Michael let go of Zeke's wrist only to entangle their fingers.

"I think that blow knocked some sense into me."

Zeke smiled softly. "Into the both of us," he murmured before leaning over and pressing a kiss against gently curving lips.

END


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